Isturian Polytheism

There is a single religious institution that covers the whole of Isturoth. Among its people, there is a solid belief in the Gods and their role in society. This applies to almost every individual, regardless of status or occupation.
The way in which each person worships is down to the individual. Some may be avid followers of one god and visit temples dedicated to them, others may have a small shrine in their home or an icon they carry around their neck. Farmers may be more inclined to give offerings to the God of Agriculture, scholars might have a shrine to the God of Knowledge in the library where they spend their time.

Structure

There are 7 gods in total that compose the full pantheon of Isturoth, that are seen as possessing different realms or levels. Three dwell at ground-level, on the material world among people, one in the sky, one in the ground, and one God even further either side (the cosmos beyond the sky, and the deep dark beyond the ground). While the ground-level deities are the most commonly worshipped as they are seen as the most connected to people and their lives, the others are more mysterious, obscure, and indeed less humanoid the further their domains get from the material world.
All gods are considered agender and omnipotent, despite most dwelling in the material world. The commonly-accepted symbol for the pantheon is the Vathi Star.

Barud - The Warming Hearth

This god represents the cultural reverence of the 'home', along with safety and comfort. A warm, glowing hearth sits behind an iron grate in the chest of Barud, and their hair is long and lustrous, filled with all manner of dry herbs and spices. They are almost always depicted in the softest, comfiest house clothes, so that their mere presence is enough to fill anyone with a sense of comfort and calm. Within one of their hands, they conjure a flame that warms those in the freezing cold and lights the way home in the dark.
A clean house with a roaring fire, full of good food and family, is what pleases Barud the most. They are also considered to be the custodian of household manner and politeness, in particular the rules and rituals when you are a guest in someone else's home.
It is completely normal to have a shrine to Barud inside your house, so that they may keep a watchful eye on it and grant it their blessing. Tributes may be offered in terms of pouring a cup of tea for them, leaving bread or lighting incense. Naturally, Barud will humbly decline these gifts so they may be taken away in the same day.

Xasan - The Earth's Vitality

With the head of a cow, the body of a person and the legs of a goat, Xasan wanders the world with their flock of livestock. They shepherd their animals through the valleys, leaving a trail of fertile soil and vibrant plant life as they travel. On their waist, they wear a sash with many pockets, some are filled with seeds and others carry feed for the animals.
Their sphere covers not just the health of the natural world, but also of the people that inhabit it. Healing illnesses and receiving healthy crops will both warrant prayers and tributes to this god. With their left hand they carry their shepherd's crook, with which they till soil, lead livestock and grant life. With their right hand, they harvest what they grow and feed both animals and people alike with it.
The easiest way to gain Xasan's favour is by selecting a few of your finest crops from a harvest and feeding them to your best animals. Animal products such as furs, horns and bones can be left at an altar to show respect, while perishable foods ought to be consumed so that nothing is wasted. Xasan supports the cultivation of the earth for agriculture and farmland, but one must seek the God's blessing before doing so. Unnecessary destruction of the land or wasted product may lead to future crop failure or animal death.

Akhmat - The Aspiring Knowledge

The god of learning, art, culture, science and any other academic fields. Akhmat constantly seeks to better themselves by learning all there is to know. Within their sphere is also things like music, craft, reading and writing, along with smithing and masonry. Their hands are chapped with the work of ages, forever constructing and chiselling and scribing and making. Libraries, studios, amphitheatres and work stations all fall under the watch of Akhmat.
Atop their head, they wear a 'scholar's skullcap', an item of clothing reserved for only the most accomplished and knowledgeable people in their field. The robes they wear are able to carry the multitude of tools they need to go about their work, not least of which is their ethereal quill and inkpot that never empties.

Kohra - The Loving Sacrifice

Every religion needs a figure who is admired because they gave their life for the betterment of people. The God Kohra is the symbol of heroism, bravery, and ultimately sacrifice. It is they who the people of Isturoth look to for security, protection, and honourable selflessness. Their veneration comes from the legend of their ascension - once a regular person of early Isturoth who gave their life to halt the tide of endless legions of wyrms, now they live above the clouds, defending those on the ground from their vicious attacks.
Kohra serves as a constant reminder of the importance of acting selflessly and putting others before yourself, defending the helpless and less fortunate. In a broader sense, Kohra acts as an inspiring figure for those going into battle or those put on guard. For if they perish in their duty, as long as they see it through to the bitter end in defence of others, they may be rewarded by Kohra who will grant them their own set of reptilian wings and the opportunity to defend the homeland from above the clouds for all eternity.

Drevok - The Indomitable Time

This god governs over the passage of time, decay, and stone. Drevok is a colossal giant of bone and rock, one who slumbers deep within the earth. When a person has died, they are buried in the ground and a cairn of stones is built atop their grave. This will let Drevok know there is another to take, absorbing them into the earth and turning them back into the stone from whence they came. For who better to watch over the flow of time from their eternal, dreamless sleep, than ageless Drevok with the wisdom and power of untold eons.
While not as openly revered as some of the other Gods, Drevok is an important cornerstone of the pantheon. Those who have lost someone may occasionally pray to Drevok or offer a tribute of various minerals or carved stones, so that they can rest easy knowing that they have become one with the natural world once more.

Jura - The Endless Fate

The only God with no true established form, however there are certain groups within mainstream polytheism that will represent Jura as a blindfolded person draped in ethereal lengths of fabric, along with their multi-faceted dice. Many disagree with this depiction however, and instead show them as a vague nebulous cloud (which is notably more difficult to do in stone sculpture). The reason for the confusion is that Jura is the most mysterious and ambiguous member of the pantheon. It is understood that they are the custodian of fate and all events that take place - both the good and the bad.
Rarely worshipped outright, their name is usually only invoked by gamblers or people who praise (or scorn) them for their recent luck (or lack thereof). In a larger sense, from their domain in the ether above the clouds and the known material world, Jura dictates everyone and everything simply by continually rolling their multitude of dice. All events that have occurred and will occur are all part of the divination of the Endless Fate. This is not to say they are either good or evil, merely they are a truely neutral party that keep things flowing.
Much like their physical appearance, there is much debate about their nature and divinity. Some think that they function as a mindless machine, setting events into motion with their dice but having no real power to influence them one way or another. Others believe that the power to do such a thing makes them more powerful and omnipotent than any others in the pantheon and that Jura is the God of Gods, but simply indifferent to the struggles of the lesser creatures.

Jokhoš - The Primordial Instinct

Truly the most feared (and sometimes hated) of all the Gods in the pantheon, but solemnly revered all the same. Jokhoš represents everything that is raw and primal in the world. The animalistic nature of certain predators and even people is said to stem from Jokhoš, and acts of violence and impulse will feed and sustain them.
They have been in a conflict with Drevok since the dawn of time. While Drevok slumbers in the rock of the deep earth, Jokhoš dwells in a realm beyond this in a plane of pure darkness, filled with demons and monsters. It is here they have been imprisoned until the end of time, yet this does not stop them from trying to escape. With great claws and razor-sharp teeth, they are forever digging through the domain of Drevok, creating immense caverns and tunnels in the rock. Their raw anger and hatred manifests in the form of lava, causing a huge amount of pain and turmoil for the Indomitable Time. The conflict of the will of Jokhoš and the will of Drevok makes itself felt on the surface of the material world in the form of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
These natural disasters are all blamed on the tenacious Jokhoš and their never-ending quest to reach the surface and turn it into a blasted land of blackened earth, ash-filled skies and rivers of lava.

Assets

The formal religious institution, as supported by the governing body, has access to the resources of any successful religious organisation. Temples, statues and shrines are crafted with care and respect, honouring one or multiple gods. The most common kind are temples dedicated to the three gods that live amongst people, with congregations and services carried out by dedicated priests.
The state of these consecrated sites depends largely on the wealth of the settlements they are located in. Small villages and towns may have a shrine or statue in the centre of town that all are welcome to pray and place offerings at. Larger, wealthier cities will have opulent temples carved from marble and filled with silver relics, used by priests in flowing, gilded robes and weighed down with layers of jewellery.
Depending on the values, laws and resources of the area, places of worship may even have guard allocated to them.

History

While the belief in the gods of the pantheon has existed for millennia, structured religious practices and worship has only really come into effect in the last thousand years or so. Over the last several centuries, as the people of Isturoth have become more advanced and prosperous, worship of the gods has become more organised and observed.
Some time around 200 years ago, an event occurred that shaped the religion as it is known today...

Mythology & Lore

Creation Story

Isturian Creation Story

Story 1

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Story 2

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Story 3

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Divine Origins

In the Creation Cycle of the world, Isturoth underwent many changes, most notably was the creation of people out of stone and their subsequent infection of the plague of flesh. During this time, the early Isturians learnt all about the struggles and conflicts of the gods, as well as their power; what they could do and what they would ask of people in return.
This was taught to their children and their children's children, through writings chiselled into stone and scrawled onto vellum, and these teachings became the foundation of what is now mainstream polytheism. Many of the rituals, processes and structures of divine worship observed nowadays has slowly come together over the centuries and now has become so solid that there is little deviation.

Cosmological Views

Structure

	Zura The Ether
	Kohra The Sky
Barud	Xasan	Akhmat
	Drevok The Ground
	Jokhosh The Abyss

Tenets of Faith

1. Patience - Don't push your luck, or tempt fate
2. Selflessness - Put others before yourself
3. Honor - Take pride in your home and family
4. Compassion - Care for the earth and all living things
5. Knowledge - Better yourself by learning
6. Humility - Be at peace with death and understand your place in the world
7. Control - Don't give in to primal impulse or emotion

Ethics

Burial Practices

In Isturoth, burials are taken extremely seriously. The ultimate goal is to ensure the body is put beneath the ground and the grave is marked with a cairn. This pile of stones and pebbles ensures that Drevok takes notice of the newly departed and accepts them, turning their bodies to stone and returning them to the material from which they were originally formed.
The stone cairns also serve to notify other people where a body has been buried, so they do not disturb the resting place with construction, agriculture or even just wayward wandering. Disturbing buried remains, either accidently or purposefully, is considered a capital offence in many cases. If a person's corpse is moved or unearthed in any way, they will not be able to be accepted by Drevok and re-incorporated into the earth. As such, it could be said that such an act would rob the person of their posthumous purpose and even access to an afterlife.

Worship

Shrines

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Temples

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Festivals

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Priesthood

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Political Influence & Intrigue

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Sects

Blade's Edge of Kohra

See Blade's Edge of Kohra.

The Healing Creed

See The Healing Creed.

Trust in the gods.

Type

Religious, Pantheon

Divines

• The Revenant Knight

Location

Isturoth

Related Traditions

• Hallowing
• Lullaby of the Deep

Related Ranks & Titles

• Heralds

Related Ethnicities

• Isturian